World Premiere
In a meaty follow-up to her memorable first feature Easy Land (VIFF 2019), Serbian-Canadian director Sanja Živković returns with a deeply moving family drama about a grandfather fighting for the custody of his newborn granddaughter, who is rejected by her young mother after she learns that the child is afflicted with a rare genetic disorder known as Cat’s Cry syndrome.
Based on true events that took place in the Serbian town of Karagujevac, Živković handles the subject with utmost care and respect, leaning on her sharp storytelling instincts and infusing the story with a nuanced reading of the cultural framework. She approaches the individual arcs with compassion and without judgment, making sure that each character is given emotional space and context, amplifying the film’s resonance and complexity. This is further strengthened by all-around compelling performances, featuring a cast of regional heavyweights like Jasmin Geljo and Marija Škaričić.
Oct 1 & 3: Q&A with director Sanja Živković; producer Vladimir Paskaljevic; and actor Jasmin Geljo
Presented by
Media Partner
Jasmin Geljo, Andrijana Đorđević, Sanja Mikitišin, Marija Škaričić, Denis Murić, Sergej Trifunović
Canada/Serbia/Croatia
2024
In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles
Domestic violence
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Nevena Savić, Jelica Rosandić
Producer
Vladimir Paskaljević, Petar Paskaljević, Munire Armstrong, Irena Skorić
Screenwriter
Goran Paskaljević, Djordje Sibinović
Cinematography
Milica Drakulić
Editor
Radojka Vrabac
Production Design
Nevena Marković
Original Music
Dalibor Grubačević
Sanja Živković
Sanja Živković is a Serbian-Canadian filmmaker. Her first feature Easy Land premiered at TIFF 2019, screened at VIFF, FNC Montreal, Palm Springs, Goteborg, and Belgrade’s FEST. Select short films include Cleo (TIFF 2016), and Marijina Epizoda (Montreal World FF 2014), awarded in Belgrade and Sarajevo. She received a BFA from Simon Fraser University’s Film Program, her MFA in Directing from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade, and completed the Canadian Film Centre Director’s Lab.
Filmography: Easy Land (2019)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World
Sasha Waters' documentary takes us through the life of America's best-selling late twentieth century poet, a private woman who shared her innermost thoughts and made them indispensable.
Late Fame
Based on a novella by Arthur Schnitzler (Eyes Wide Shut) this is a sly, poignant comedy about vanity and art from director Kent Jones, starring Willem Dafoe as a mailman belatedly acclaimed for a book of poetry he wrote in his youth.
American Doctor
One of the most powerful documentaries of the year, this puts us smack in the open wound that is Gaza, filtered through the eyes of three American surgeons (of Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian backgrounds) compelled to do their utmost to alleviate harm.
Memory of Princess Mumbi
In 2093, a filmmaker arrives in the African village of Umata, where he meets Princess Mumbi, a woman torn between love, legacy, and the future of storytelling. It's a fabulous genre-blending fable about memory, invention and cinematic resistance.
Joan Crawford in... Letty Lynton
This would be your first chance to see one of Joan Crawford's prime pre-Code films since 1936, a salacious melodrama about a socialite (Joan Crawford) accused of poisoning her ex lover.
Jack Johnson: Surfilmusic
This new documentary chronicles Jack Johnson's evolution from surfer to filmmaker to world-renowned musician. The film traces how Jack's early years making surf films with close friends became a foundation for a much broader creative life.